John Shegerian, who runs a California-based electronics recycling firm, believes in giving second chances by hiring people with troubled pasts, including former convicts, gang members, and people coming off welfare. "If every business owner hired just one person from the margins," he says on BNET.com," it could make a world of difference within the community."

You may have heard the expression, "That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger," and a soon-to-be-published study shows there‘s scientific truth to that expression. The study found that adverse experiences do appear to foster adaptability and resilience, leading to better mental health and well being. So, while your job search may be hard on your psyche today, you might look back on it in a few years and believe it made you better.

A former Wall Street Journal columnist tells how he pursued a job related to his passion - international investing - even though he liked his job at the time. He networked with friends, headhunters, people in the industry, and others. One of his contacts eventually led him to his dream job months later. His lesson? "When looking for a new job," he wrote on the Journal's web site, "if you define your career interests broadly and then shake every tree you can find, the fruit will start falling."

What has inspired you in your job search? Please share it with us in a comment.